January 24, 2013

College Volleyball and Random Thoughts, Part II

Part Dos of College Volleyball and Random thoughts is below for your reading pleasure:8. Kneel down defense sure is popular. When did college players forget how to extend, sprawl, roll and GET BACK UP!!!! Maybe they were never taught? The Libero's making sure their knee pads have proper cushioning on defense is enough to keep me away from college coaching a bit longer. 9. Do you have any idea what retroactively makes me very very angry (ode to green martian in cartoon)? Seeing power conference programs with staff's three times as large as I ever had coaching DI - That is the answer!!! Some of these programs are nearing basketball silliness where there are more people out of uniform than in uniform on the bench. One time, I actually had to demonstrate the need to our AD of getting a trainer assigned to travel with our team to the conference tournament. 10. I understand, I get it, but that does not mean I like it - TV commentators using football references to explain volleyball. Let's try to build a lexicon (click here for definition, because I don't know if I used this fancy word correctly) specific to our sport for new fans to enjoy; no more run and gun, no more up tempo/no huddle, no more fast break, etc. 11. Riddle me this........Why are power conference programs consistently starting numerous freshman each season? Could it be the One and Done? Poor grades, coaching changes, bad directions to campus, etc? Whatever the reason, something does not make sense. If a program is elite, and the coaches do their recruiting job, multiple freshman should not be starting because there were multiple really good freshman the year before. College players, especially upper classmen should not be getting beat out for playing time by greenhorn freshman.12. Referees should not be allowed to consume caffeine within one hour of a collegiate match. The quick whistle, combined with the three ball system and players running round like squirrels on M & M's makes the match way too fast. Referees dictate the tempo of the match, and for some reason, so many of them are in a hurry to get the match moving. The games are already fast enough because of rally score.13. How Cow Batman, the players are taller than me! (Completely random yet related reference, the Batmobile just sold for 4.2 million!) I am 6'5" and I am routinely looking up at players in Club Volleyball. When did all of these tall players arrive and where did they come from? Not only are they growing them bigger in the Matrix, but these kids are athletes. No more walking and barely chewing gum, but flying around the court kung fu style!14. I have been doing my research trying to find out the historical date....The historical date for the day that defense died. Nobody plays defense anymore; from setters to OH's to the endless supply of Liberos. Balls routinely fall to the ground with no effort (the token dive is even on the endangered species list), balls are dug 20 feet off the net, when they should be hand delivered to the setter with the laces out (ode to Pet Detective), "shank you very much's" are as routine as good digs on back row attacks. The mentality of rally scoring is now obvious in the scoring systems for college teams; sideout for points, block the ball and serve tough to get free balls back.And now, it is time to go to the beach.....Yes, you don't want to know where I am right now, but if you follow me on Twitter you can see!